

By Michelle Wanjiku

Have you ever wondered how interviewers determine which candidate to offer the job to?

They use an evaluation form or score sheet. An interview evaluation form is what employers use to compare how suitable you are to a position. The evaluation form measures your skills and competencies against the requirements and other applicants.

Interviewers work with a sort of score system whether they have an evaluation form or not. Most interviewers already have an idea of the kind of person they want to hire so in an interview they will be looking for the person that is closest to who they want.

So how do interviewers use evaluation forms?

Interviewers rank candidates on a score of one to ten or in percentage form depending on how well they fit certain aspects of the position.

An interview evaluation form allows interviewers to score candidates consistently and comparing them fairly.

How do evaluation forms work?

It goes without saying that the higher you rank the better your chances of getting the job. So as an interviewee you need to ensure that you impress the interviewer with your answers.

Keep in mind it’s not always about what you say how you answer the questions also matter a lot.

For example

When answering the question, ‘tell me about yourself’

Not only is the interviewer going to rank you depending on what you say but also how you say it. If your answer doesn’t come out clearly or you spend a lot of time talking about irrelevant things, then this will affect your score negatively.

The interviewer is also looking at your communication skills as well as other soft skill so to get a high score you need to improve these skills.

In fact, most of the time the last section on an evaluation form is usually where the interviewer is given a chance to rate the candidate in terms of confidence, presentation, appearance, attitude and ability to fit into the organization.

Here are sample comments found on evaluation forms written by an interviewer on their overall view of candidates.

Showed great confidence all through the interview, answered questions clearly, dressed professionally and had a positive attitude.

Did not dress to suit the interview, talked too fast and did not answer the questions clearly, exuded an over-confident nature and appeared cocky.

Between these two candidates who do you think will get the position?

It’s important to remember that they both had the same educational qualifications and almost similar experience.

The second candidate was very qualified for the role and had a lot more knowledge in regards to the position they were interviewing for, but because of the final overall review, he lost out on a job opportunity.

Even though the first candidate wasn’t as strong as the second, they managed to impress the interviewer with their confidence and attitude.


Passing a job interview isn’t always about having the right experience and knowledge, how you present yourself in an interview will also affect whether you get the job or not.

Remember, that the whole point of an interview is so that the interviewer can learn more about you and see if you can fit into the organization. Otherwise, people would be hired based on their CVs only.

Having a hard time selling your expertise in a job interview? Talk to an Interview Coaching Manager today. Email to make an appointment.